Breasts can move considerably when women are active, which can sometimes be uncomfortable. Many studies have measured breast movement by a camera recording the movement of multiple markers attached to the breast. However, an excessive number of markers may hinder the subject’s movement. Additionally, camera images cannot readily distinguish closely arranged LED markers owing to interference of light from the markers. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a numerical model to minimize experimental limitations. The present numerical model was developed based on the Lagrange method to enable simultaneous prediction of the movement of multiple positions on the breast during successional vertical jumps. The modeling results revealed the nipple demonstrated a larger displacement (average displacement ≈ 52.73 mm) than other marker positions during successive jumps. The breast top showed lower displacement (average displacement ≈ 46.18 mm) than other marker positions. The model also revealed the force variation on the breast during a jump. The whole breast movement was dependent on a combination of multiple forces. The viscoelastic force provided resistance to breast deformation. The restoring force drove the breast upward, while the gravity force pulled it down. The model synchronously calculated the displacements of more than 30 positions on the breast, then exported the vertical movement path of the whole breast. The model can only predict the vertical displacement and force; it still needs to be improved in other directions.
During a thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan, a 36-year-old male was diagnosed with a solitary oval pulmonary mixed ground-glass nodule in the right upper lobe of the lung. The edge of the nodule was well-defined, and its largest axial size was approximately 1.1 × 0.9 cm(2). This nodule was slightly lobulated, but not obviously speculated. Solid components, micro-cystic lucency shadow, small high-density rings and tiny vascular branches were all visible in the nodule. During hospitalization, a technetium 99 m methylene diphosphonate (Tc-99 m MDP) bone scan was performed, which showed a skeletal foci with abnormal uptake in the left iliac. A pulmonary lobectomy of the right upper lobe of the lung by video-assisted thoracoscopy was performed. In post-operative pathological photomicrographs, proliferative Langerhans' cells, eosinophils and lymphocytes were found. Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of S-100 protein, CD1a, and CD68 antigen all stained positive. Since Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (LCH) that is also associated with isolated mixed ground-glass nodules is relatively rare, such a multi-systemic LCH case as identified herein, is reported.
Purpose Multiple myeloma (MM) and metastasis originated are the two common malignancy diseases in the spine. They usually show similar imaging patterns and are highly demanded to differentiate for precision diagnosis and treatment planning. The objective of this study is therefore to construct a novel deep-learning-based method for effective differentiation of two diseases, with the comparative study of traditional radiomics analysis. Methods We retrospectively enrolled a total of 217 patients with 269 lesions, who were diagnosed with spinal MM (79 cases, 81 lesions) or spinal metastases originated from lung cancer (138 cases, 188 lesions) confirmed by postoperative pathology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences of all patients were collected and reviewed. A novel deep learning model of the Multi-view Attention-Guided Network (MAGN) was constructed based on contrast-enhanced T1WI (CET1) sequences. The constructed model extracts features from three views (sagittal, coronal and axial) and fused them for a more comprehensive differentiation analysis, and the attention guidance strategy is adopted for improving the classification performance, and increasing the interpretability of the method. The diagnostic efficiency among MAGN, radiomics model and the radiologist assessment were compared by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results Ablation studies were conducted to demonstrate the validity of multi-view fusion and attention guidance strategies: It has shown that the diagnostic model using multi-view fusion achieved higher diagnostic performance [ACC (0.79), AUC (0.77) and F1-score (0.67)] than those using single-view (sagittal, axial and coronal) images. Besides, MAGN incorporating attention guidance strategy further boosted performance as the ACC, AUC and F1-scores reached 0.81, 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. In addition, the MAGN outperforms the radiomics methods and radiologist assessment. The highest ACC, AUC and F1-score for the latter two methods were 0.71, 0.76 & 0.54, and 0.69, 0.71, & 0.65, respectively. Conclusions The proposed MAGN can achieve satisfactory performance in differentiating spinal MM between metastases originating from lung cancer, which also outperforms the radiomics method and radiologist assessment.
Objective
To assess the feasibility of labeling endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) with N-Alkyl-polyethylenimine 2 kDa stabilized superparamagnetic iron oxide (Alkyl-PEI2k/SPIO) and imaging in vitro by a 7.0 T MR scanner.
Methods
EPCs were obtained from human peripheral blood by density gradient centrifugation and cultured adherently under given conditions. Alkyl-PEI2k/SPIO (7 μg/ml Fe) was used to label EPCs by incubation overnight, and the labeling efficiency was determined by Prussian blue staining. The viability and activity of labeled cells were evaluated using CCK-8, Transwell migration and tubulogenesis assays. Labeled EPCs agarose hydrogels with different number of cells (0, 5×103, 1×104, 5×104, 1×105, 2.5×105, 5×105, 1×106 and 1.5×106) were prepared, and in vitro 7.0 T MR was performed. Signal intensity (SI) and relaxation time were measured. Data were analyzed by two-sample t test and paired t test.
Results
The labeling efficiency with Alkyl-PEI2k/SPIO at a 7 μg Fe/ml concentration was 100%. Quantitative analysis of cellular iron was (6.062±0.050) pg/cell. There was no statistical difference between the absorbance of labeled and unlabeled EPCs determined by CCK-8 assay (P>0.05). Migration assay showed that the number of labeled migrated EPCs (80.6±8.0) was comparable to that of unlabeled EPCs (77.6±4.6; P>0.05). Tubulogenesis assay suggested that the number of tube-like structures formed by labeled EPCs (9.0±1.0) was not statistically different from that of the unlabeled EPCs (9.4±1.5; P>0.05). In vitro MRI showed that SI and relaxation time were reduced with the increased number of labeled EPCs. Both SI and relaxation time had significant differences between T2 and T2*(P<0.01).
Conclusions
EPCs could be labeled with Alkyl-PEI2k/SPIO efficiently without significant side effect on cell activity. Magnetically labeled EPCs could be imaged in vitro by a 7.0 T MR scanner.
Key words:
Endothelium, vascular; Superparamagnetic iron oxides; Magnetic resonance imaging
This study aimed to scrutinize alterations in brain structure in individuals afflicted with primary trigeminal neuralgia (TN), and to elucidate the relationship between these modifications and the clinical symptoms exhibited by TN patients. Utilizing 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), T1-weighted structural images and diffusion tensor imaging data were acquired from 64 participants. Variations in gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter (WM) were assessed through voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and tract-based spatial statistics, respectively. Furthermore, we explored the correlations between structural metrics and both the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and the disease duration. Furthermore, a multi-model diffusion imaging approach combined with support vector machine (SVM) was utilized for classification purposes. VBM analysis revealed a significant reduction in GMV within the right thalamus in the TN cohort. Additionally, we observed notable fluctuations in fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD) within the genu and body of corpus callosum (CC), anterior corona radiata (CR), and superior CR. Notably, alterations in FA and RD within certain affected brain regions demonstrated correlations with clinical metrics. By combining the significant features of FA and RD in the affected brain regions, the classification accuracy reached 0.783, with an AUC of 0.862. This study provides compelling evidence of structural changes in the brain of individuals with primary TN, notably the significant decrease in GMV in the right thalamus and variations in WM integrity, as indicated by changes in FA and RD in key brain regions such as the CC and CR. These structural alterations correlate significantly with clinical measures of pain intensity and disease duration. The use of a multi-modal diffusion imaging approach combined with a SVM classifier demonstrated high effectiveness, suggesting potential utility in diagnosing and understanding the neuropathology of TN.
Purpose: To evaluate the potential role and cellular mechanism of the CXCR4 antagonist (N15P) derived from the N-terminal of viral macrophage inflammatory protein-II (vMIP-II) on the apoptosis induced by HIV-1 extracellular nef protein in vitro.Method: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and Jurkat cells were treated with HIV-1 nef protein alone or together with N15P at different doses and time points. The competitive binding effect of N15P against nef was assessed via radioligand binding assays. Apoptosis was evaluated via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The level of nuclear FOXO3a and phospho-FOXO3a was assessed by Western blotting.Results: The interaction of 125I-nef with Jurkat cells was inhibited by N15P in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 value of 0.3516 ng/ml. N15P protect against nef protein-induced apoptosis in a timeand concentration- dependent manner. The proapoptotic effect of extracellular nef protein in cells was associated with FOXO3a pathway and the changes in intracellular processes were blocked by N15P in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion: N15P inhibits the apoptosis of uninfected CD4+ T lymphocytes induced by HIV-1 extracellular nef protein. Therefore, N15P is a potential effective CXCR4 antagonist in the course of HIV and could prevent or delay the onset of AIDS.Keywords: HIV-1, Nef, vMIP-II, Bystander lymphocytes, Apoptosis, FOXO3a, CXCR4 antagonist, Macrophage, Inflammation
AbstractObjectives: The study explores the feasibility of using local anesthesia in parotid gland tumor surgery. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze 364 medical records, gathering data on several key aspects. These included the age, incision length, operation time, size of tumor, NHIS, ASA score, pathology. Additionally, we documented postoperative complications. Results: A total of 111 patients underwent surgery under local anesthesia, while 253 patients underwent surgery under general anesthesia. We found a significantly different in surgical time, incision length, and tumor size between two group. There is no difference in postoperative complications and age. Conclusions: It is feasible to perform parotid gland tumor resection under local anesthesia. Compared to general anesthesia, this approach does not increase the risk of complications or surgical trauma and can reduce anesthesia-related complications. This is beneficial for expanding the surgical treatment indications, allowing patients who cannot tolerate general anesthesia to also receive treatment.
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of synthetic polypeptide (N15P) derived from viral macrophage inflammatory protein II (vMIP-II) on the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as well as investigate the signaling pathways involved in stromal cell-derived factor-1α(SDF-1α)/CXC Chemokin Receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis-induced VEGF in glioblastoma U87 cells.Methods: Glioblastoma U87 cells were exposed to SDF-1á, N15P with various concentrations. The expression of CXCR4, SDF-1α and VEGF mRNA were assessed by RT-PCR, while expression level of VEGF was tested by ELISA and protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation detected by Western blot.Results: The results showed that CXCR4, SDF-1α, VEGF are expressed in human glioblastoma U87 cell lines. SDF-1α caused a dose-dependent sensitivity of cell proliferation with a maximum effect at 15 µmole/ml, while N15P decreased cell viability in U87 cells in a dose-dependent manner. SDF-1α stimulated the activation of VEGF, and N15P inhibited the activation of VEGF with or without SDF-1α stimulation. VEGF production in U87 cells was associated with Akt pathway. These changes in intracellular processes were blocked by N15P in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion: The results suggest that N15P suppress SDF-1α/CXCR4 Mediated VEGF production through Akt signaling pathway and this may be a potent therapeutic strategy in glioblastoma.Keywords: Viral macrophage, Inflammatory protein II, Glioblastoma, CXC chemokin receptor 4, Stromal cell-derived factor-1α, Protein kinase B
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